September 15, 2016 | No Comments
An enraged press corps turned on Donald Trump Thursday night after the Republican nominee plowed ahead with a speech New Hampshire before they arrived — then mocked them from the stage.
“I have really good news for you,” he said while the reporters covering his campaign watched from a bus traveling from the airport. “I just heard the press is stuck on their airplane. They can’t get here. I love it. So they’re trying to get here now. They’re going to be about 30 minutes late. They called us and said, ‘Could you wait?’ I said, absolutely not. Let’s get going, New Hampshire.”
Trump, who has frequently lambasted the media for what he says is biased coverage, criticized individual reporters by name, and blacklisted numerous outlets — POLITICO included — recently dinged Hillary Clinton for a lack of transparency with the media.
The irony of this critique was not lost on the reporters who quickly took to social media to criticize the campaign’s “absurd” decision, as CNN’s Phil Mattingly put it.
What’s ironic is Trump’s campaign has been lambasting Clinton’s campaign for lack of transparency w/ press… https://t.co/ByGjapFXrg
— Ali Vitali (@alivitali) September 16, 2016
This week, Conway said Clinton treats the press like second class citizens. Please note that Trump is speaking right now and we are on a bus
— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) September 16, 2016
I know, I know. No one feels sorry for the press. Nor should you. But for weeks, the Trump campaign has gone after Clinton on transparency.
— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) September 16, 2016
To sum it up: Trump started rally without reporters who follow him around the country. Then mocked us all. https://t.co/tqm7E3ENMX
— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) September 16, 2016
We pay through the nose for press charter, which Trump campaign organizes & arranges … He started in NH w/ us still on the tarmac. So dumb
— David Martosko (@dmartosko) September 16, 2016
Trump doing this rally without his traveling press corps even here is an absurd joke.
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) September 16, 2016
The traveling Trump press saw 3 minutes and 28 seconds of his rally in Laconia.
— Nick Corasaniti (@NYTnickc) September 16, 2016
To be clear: Traveling press is arranged and organized by the Trump campaign. https://t.co/oOC6vuz52v
— Nick Corasaniti (@NYTnickc) September 16, 2016